


Carbon Based

by DaniPhandom



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, Gen, Multi, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 09:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19331404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniPhandom/pseuds/DaniPhandom
Summary: Alternate future timeskip from Jungle Moon.Life with the Crystal Gems has always been a life full of surprises for Steven and Connie. And while it has been a welcome quiet period for the pair, strange and terrifying events conspire to bring them back into conflict with Homeworld- and facing a terrifying threat to gem existence on both sides of the war.





	Carbon Based

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Linzie, Meezerqueen, and HollyCarre for proofreading my chapter.

It was a cool spring evening. The sea air was refreshing with the top down. The road stretched ahead as Steven drove along the coast. Beach City Limits. Connie leaned on him across the bench seat of the car that Steven had nicknamed the Fusion.

“It's nice having to worry less about getting to and from home lately.”

“Or at all. You know I'm good any time, as long as I'm not on a Crystal Gem mission,” Steven replies with a grin.

“Right...” She smiles back, softly, “That's good.” She pauses, looking for a direction to take things, to avoid what's weighing her. “Mom keeps asking to know what kind of car you drive. I don't know what to tell her, honestly.”

He laughs. “Dad can tell more than I can. I think the frame used to be a Cadillac, but the insides are a lot newer, and some of it isn't really out of anything. Amethyst cludged it together from whatever she got her hands on.”

“Uh-huh. And you're sure it's road-legal?” Connie asks with a small grin.

“Yeah. Dad and Peridot helped with that,” he replies, “So you kinda asked out of the blue about coming over. Did you have something special in mind or something?”

Connie winced. She didn't want to deal with this, not this early.

“...Steven, let's talk about that later.”

He gave her a bit of a sideglance, but shrugged. “Alright, Connie. That's fine. We can just enjoy the ride.”

He let a hand off the wheel to rest it on her leg, and she took it in hers.

“Yeah.” She pecked him on the cheek, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Remind me to thank Amethyst for the bench seat.”

 

Pearl looked at the not-at-all-discreet black package on the kitchen counter.

“Amethyst,” she calls very evenly, “What is this.”

“It's a box of condoms, doy. You're the smart one, I shouldn't have to tell you.”

Pearl's eye twitched. “I  _ know _ it's a box of condoms, I meant WHAT IS IT DOING ON THE TABLE WHERE STEVEN COULD SEE IT.”

“Connie's parents are letting her stay the night over, right? Do  _ you _ want to have to deal with a human kid? I mean, when Steven was a baby, you cried as much as  _ he _ did.” Amethyst gave Pearl a smirk as the taller gem fumed in wordless fury.

“Garnet, tell Amethyst that's  _ not _ how we're going to handle this  _ extremely delicate _ subject!”

Garnet watched impassively. “Steven and Connie can handle themselves.”

Pearl's eyes shot wide at the sound of the door opening. “STEVEN!” she greeted, placing herself in the direct line of sight to block the box on the bar- only to be greeted by the sight of Greg.

“Hey. Sorry to arrive unannounced, but I just got off the phone with Priyanka,” he replies, rubbing the back of his head a bit self-consciously, “She asked me to chaperone.”

“So you know what this is about?” Pearl asks.

“Yeah, it's... sensitive,” he replies,setting a small bag on the counter, “Connie knows, but that's the point. She's telling Steven  _ personally _ .”

“So?” Amethyst presses, “Come on, spill! Is she moving? Is there someone else? Is she moving to be with someone else? Oh, man, they're traditional... is her hand already taken? Is Steven going to have to fight another guy for Connie's hand?”

Greg paused momentarily, more than a little overwhelmed and amused at how vivid Amethyst's speculation on Steven's love life is, before going with a simple “No, Amethyst, it's not  _ that _ kind of thing.”

Pearl frowns, looking pensive, shifting to lean on the counter. “So what else would be that pressing, but not pressing enough for you to tell us?”    
Greg shakes his head. “There’s some things that the telling… changes people. Not who they are, but how they act, what they do, Pearl. There’s a reason they only told me. And I might not tell you tonight, and even Connie may not tell you directly. But it’s important that we be here to listen. And support. Can you trust me on that much?”

“...alright, Greg. We trust you,” Pearl replied after a moment, turning to the others, “right?”

Garnet’s mouth upturned just a little as she gave a thumbs up. Something told Greg she already understood a little of what was coming.

“You got it, Mr Universe!” Amethyst replied with a grin.”

“Great.” Greg took notice of the black box that was visible now Pearl had turned. “Uh, hey, Pearl, what’s with the box?”

Pearl’s cheeks went a deep blue as she began to speak- but was interrupted again by the door swinging open.

“Aaaafter you, m’lady,” Steven playfully teased Connie as he held the door. Connie laughed a bit at his formality as she followed in, “You do know how to treat a woman, Mr. Universe.”

She gave a knowing smile of relief as she saw Greg- Team Human Beings could handle this. 

“Heyy, welcome home, Steven. The Maheswarans asked me to chaperone the evening… and I brought along some of the things  _ I  _ did when I had dates at your age.”

He gave a bit of a grin as he pulled a board game box covered in multicolor polka dots from the bag. “Hot Spots, anyone?”

Hot Spots was always best for with a chaperone- it needed a third person to be the caller, after all. 

 

Several hours of right-foot-greens, pizza time, and bad science fiction later...

It had been a long, fun evening. One busy enough to even keep Connie distracted for most of it- until everyone else had left the two alone in the upper-half of the house to sleep. From her sleeping bag next to him, Connie turned to face Steven.

“...Steven?”

“Yeah, Connie?”

“You ever think about… the way the gems don’t get old?”

He furrowed a brow. That wasn’t the kind of question he’d expected. “...well, what about it?”

“How it means that if- if you don’t, you’ll… see everyone you know…” She didn’t want to say the word. “Die.”   
“W-well, I…” He didn’t know how to respond. So he went with the one thing he immediately thought of. “We know I age. It nearly killed me, a while ago. I thought I was too old for a kids party, and it got to me, and...”

She winced, “Oh.”

Her tone wasn’t the relief he’d expected. “...that question wasn’t really about me, was it?”   
“...kind of, but... “ She sighed. She reached for his hand, pulling it to her arm just below her shoulder. “Give it a squeeze, Steven.” 

Uncertain, he did so and- ow, that was something hard under there.   
“M-mom says it’s a tumor. Maybe cancer,” she admitted, “I’m having it biopsied tomorrow to find out. She let me stay over because I wanted to ask you to be there, but I… I was having trouble finding the words, and I didn’t want that cloud hanging over us.”   
She looked down.

“If it is, I’d need treatment. I. I’d probably be too weak to be by your for a while, and--”   
Steven was out of his sleeping bag, and then his arms were around her and soon he’d pulled her out of hers in the tightest hug she’d ever had.   
“Connie, I don't care if you can't come out on adventures because being with you is one of my favorite adventures of all,” he comforted.  He set her on the covers gently, cradling her head; he settled down next to her, hugging her and squeezing gently. “"You’re a fighter Connie, you’re not going to die that easily. If and until then, I’m right here right now.”


End file.
